Edward ‘Tiger’ Chilufya set to attend trials in Sweden

CAF Under-20 Africa Cup of Nations star Edward ‘Tiger’ Chilufya has been invited to attend at Swedish top flight side Djurgardens IF, the ZamFoot Crew can exclusively reveal.

ZamFoot Crew’s Nicholas Chola understands that the 17 year old will spend a month at the Allsvenkan club and will leave in April once his he get his visa.

The Mpande Academy winger cum midfielder was one of the three players who scored 4 goals at the tournament.

He movement in the final third was a marvel to watch and has led to comparisons to with the late Timothy Mwitwa.

He scored a brace in that 6-1 demolishing of Mali and settled the nerves with an extra time goal against South Africa in the semi finals. He also scored in the final against Senegal.

Its been crazy 12 months or so for the boy from Kasama and former Mungwi Technical High school pupil.

After being spotted and groomed at Mpande Academy, the youngest member of the Zambia Under-20 forced his way into a usually Lusaka and Copperbelt Junior Chipolopolo side.

While he started on the peripheral, Chilufya ended up starting the Cosafa Cup final against South Africa in December.

With Chrispine Sakulanda tipped to start ahead of him in the opening match of the CAF Under-20 Africa Cup of Nations against Guinea, coach Beston Chambeshi handed him a shock starting berth and since then he hasn’t looked back.

Tiger against South Africa in a pre-tournament friendly

Though he might end up at Chambeshi’s Lumwana Radiants as he can’t join a European club untill September when he turns 18, the boy from Kasama is definately Euro bound.

He has been singled out by a host of agents and scouts as one of the players to watch.

For Mpande Youth Academy, it is a matter of choosing the best offer as lucrative offer trick in for the highly rated youngster.

Maybe Prince means second goal in regard to a player’s number of goals not Zambian team as a whole. Chilufya scored 2 goals meaning he had a first goal and a second goal. Another correction, if we watched the same game, Emmanuel Banda scored a volley with his left foot and that was goal number 2 to Zambia and Mwepu scored the third goal not second as you pointed out. You can look it up its everywhere on youtube. Thanks

Exactly Tc Soccerman…Zambia’s fifth goal BUT Chilufya’s second goal…that simple Ba SLIM…The goal looks simple, but he had to pick a spot against a semi mobile defender and a fully functioning one, he opens up his body for a blast..a lovely trick…but then simply directs his effort with precision and the stadium explodes…lovely goal. Tc Soccerman, if at all you are ever in Scandinavia, let me know!

This boy is the find of the tournament. We knew about Fashion and Patson prior to the tournament but this boys intelligence and movement is something special. Definitely my favorite player in the team.

He has a good mindset as when to defend and when to attack. A key figure in a team that works together. He is a specialist at picking which angle to join from, looking at the shape of the team. The second goal in the final: he read the fact that, only this time, Patson was restraining himself from challenging a fifty fifty ball where the goalkeeper could probably injure you as he was favorite. He decided to go faster than Patson in competing for the fifty fifty, he also trusts his pace – beaten to it by the goal keeper, so his only option was to jump over…wait, don’t jump into Patson who is still coming and look clumsy…okay you put your body in the most likely path of the ball while you avoid the keep and boom. It’s a goal….Game of probabilities! Excellent!! Deserves a ticket to Sweden. But you have to know Mwape Miti, Denis Lota etc played there and never progressed. So if bigger club comes you also try that as player with so much promise.

Aha…Kuku, I had to look at that goal again and you are spot on! The boy actually starts the attack leading to the goal from deep into his own half!! Lota and Miti played in Denmark and not Sweden; Chansa played in Sweden…The Swedes are more Continental thinking, exposed to the world and open to new thinking as opposed to the Norwegians or Danes, he will be fine…again we speaking as if the boy has already come through…a good talent everything else considered! And do not mind Soccerguru…

Zambia vs South Africa Kuku gave a running commentary and one would easily see that this young man has extensively seen the inside of a classroom…
Here is some food for thought; Separate the person from the topic, this is a lucid way discussing…discuss the issue and not the person.

That is what a keen coach does. While I would have loved to see Sakulanda start but the coach did the unexpected because he believed in the lad and the lad did not disappoint! All the best Edward! Never look back and continue to work hard! Discipline is the key! Learn from Kalusha, he was one of the few Zambian players to sustained a professional career until retirement! Go boy!

But I hope he holds on to signing any papers until after world cup, should he impress in the trials. Infact, the kid is good enough to get a contract directly, this insulting to Zambian players, West Africans are given contracts without even proving anything, but whatever. Good luck to the young man all the same. He will make it, even big clubs will come calling after the world cup, watch.

Zambian players have struggled in england and in France so going to sweden is not the bad ideal infact i would discourage these young boys to go to england and france let’s them try spain,Netherland,portugal and Germany

I don’t have faith in the Swedish league truth be told. I have seen the massive group of South African players some of who are youngsters go to that league and when they return there is no improvement in their game. They come out as the same product, not polished or anything.

Another problem is the low salaries of footballers in Sweden. There was a comparison between the PSL and some other African leagues with some European leagues and it turned out that leagues like the PSL, Egypt etc. pay better than the Swedish league. It worked for Mayuka but on the large part it doe not develop players to the levels they should really reach.

Having studied in Sweden and Finland for over 4 years I doubt if it would be prudent to compare Swedish football perks to any African Leagues. I feel they are structurally different. Football in Scandinavian countries in general is not highly developed, but the countries do have a very high standard of living, their salaries are very high, but their taxes are even higher to support the standard of living. Their social security is even higher than the rest of Europe and even England or America. The aged, pregnant or lactating mums don’t pay on public transport, heating of homes, buses, offices, swimming pools and any public buildings is free. Unfortunately this also translates into very high prices for inelastic goods like beer, cigarettes, etc.
Second it is a country where one needs to go and sit out his old age.
As for the level of the game, one would hope this wonder boy goes to where the standards are higher, more competitive and the payments are astronomical. He needs a highly challenging team to stretch and develop him to his optimum. Sweden will and can develop his game, but it is difficult for him to worm his way back into the competitive leagues of Europe. Finally, there is a possibility of getting blinded by the good life it offers and those blue eyed blondes who are dying for black men, make things worse for the weak hearted.
while messaging the Swedish offer, bid your time until after the world cup and see what comes your way, then make a move. Over and above this congratulations for showing other kids from the periphery that anyone can make it into the elite Zambian and hopefully world football circles.

Having studied and lived in Scandinavia for 13 years I know that everyone pays on public transport except children under age 4…and heating is paid by the title holders!!! Otherwise a nicely written contribution!

Ba Prince, You could be right, I left Scandinavia in 1990, So I may be very outdated.
Elyo ba Pungwa, that’s just a name (an anagram) of my real name, otherwise, I am actually a Professor of Architecture at Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University in SA. Having taught at CBU for 20 years and elsewhere for 5 years.
Thanks a lot.